Targum su Salmi 18:78

For praise. About the miracles that occurred to the servant of the LORD, David, who sang in prophecy in the presence of the LORD the words of this song about all the days that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the sword of Saul.

And he said: I will love you, O LORD, my strength.

O LORD, my strength and my security and the one who delivers me; the God who has chosen me has brought me near to fear him;⁷⁸to his fear my shield, from whose presence is given me strength and redemption over my enemies; my security.

David said in praise: “I pray in the LORD’s presence, and from my enemies he redeems me.”

Distress has surrounded me, like a woman who sits on the birthstool and has no strength to give birth and so is in danger of death; a band of abusive men has terrified me.

Armies of sinners have surrounded me; those armed with deadly weapons have confronted me.

When I am in distress, I pray in the presence of the LORD; and in the presence of my God I make supplication; and he accepts my prayer from his temple,⁷⁹from his holy temple in heaven and my petition in his presence is received by his ears, and is granted.

The earth trembled and shook and the foundations of the mountains tottered, and split, for he was angry with it.

The arrogance of Pharaoh⁸⁰+ the wicked went up like smoke;⁸¹+ before him then he sent his anger like a burning fire that consumes⁸²reading מישיצייא before him; his rebuke burns at his utterance like coals of fire.

And he bent down the heavens, and his glory was manifested, a dark cloud a path before him.

So he was manifested in his strength over swift cherubs; and he proceeded in might on the wings of the storm-wind.

And he made his presence dwell in the mist, and surrounded himself with the clouds of his glory as a covering; and he made favorable rains to fall on his people, and mighty waters from the massed clouds of darkness on the wicked from the eternal heights.

From the splendor of his glory the clouds of heaven passed by in rebuke like the coals of fire and burning hail from his word.

And the LORD gave a shout from heaven, and the Most High raised up his utterance; he cast hail and coals of fire.

And he sent his word like arrows, and scattered them; [he sent] many lightning bolts, and confounded them.

And the depths of the sea⁸³followimng 2 Sam. 22:16. became visible, and the pillars of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the LORD,78 from the utterance of your mighty wrath.

He sent his prophets, [he who is] a mighty king who reigns in strength;⁸⁴+ on high he took me [and] delivered me from many Gentiles.

He delivered me from my enemies, for they are strong; from my foes, for they prevailed against me.

They confronted me in the day of my wandering; but the word of the LORD was my support.

And he brought me out to a broad place, he delivered me because he was pleased with me.⁸⁵+ said David

The LORD will requite me⁸⁶repay me according to my merit; according to the cleanness of my hands he will answer me.

For I have kept the proper ways in the LORD’s presence; and I have not walked in evil before the LORD.⁸⁷my God

For all his judgments are revealed in my sight, to do them; and his covenants I will not remove⁸⁸or, he has not removed from me.

And I was⁸⁹I will be blameless in fear of him; and I kept my soul from sins.

And the LORD rewarded me according to my merit; according to the cleanness of my hands in the presence of his word.

With Abraham, who was found pious in your presence, you showed much mercy; with his seed, Isaac, who was complete in fear of you, you completed your favorable word.⁹⁰cp. Vayiqra Rabba 11:5

With Jacob, who was pure⁹¹walked in purity in your presence, you chose his sons from all the Gentiles, and separated his seed from all that is unfit; but with Pharaoh and his seed, and the Egyptians who thought evil thoughts against your people⁹²+ Israel, you confounded them in their thoughts.

Because you are going to redeem the people, the house of Israel, who are esteemed⁹³needy among the peoples in exile; and by your word you will abase the mighty nations who prevail over them.

For you will light the lamp of Israel that was extinguished in the exile, for you are the lord of the light of Israel. The LORD my God will bring me out of darkness into light⁹⁴+ and shine before me; he will show me his eternal consolation which is to come to the righteous.

For by your word I will pass through armies; and by the word of my God I will subdue mighty citadels.

God [is he] whose ways are true; the Torah of the LORD is pure; he is a shield to all who trust in him.⁹⁵his word

For because of the miracle and deliverance that you will perform for your Messiah, and for the remnants of your people who will remain, all the Gentiles, nations, and tongues will confess and say, There is no God but the LORD, for there is none besides you; and your people⁹⁶ + the house of Israel will say, There is none mighty except our God.

God, who girds on me a belt in strength, and makes blameless my way.

Who makes my feet⁹⁷+ swift like hinds’; and he will sustain me in my stronghold.

Who teaches my hands to do battle, and who makes my arms as strong as a bronze bow.

And you have given me strength and redemption; and your right hand will help me; and by your word you have multiplied me.

You have broadened⁹⁸multiplied my steps in my place, and my knee has not buckled.

I will pursue my enemies; [now] have I destroyed them, and I did not return until I finished them off.⁹⁹ and I will overtake them, and not return until I have finished them off. (The first targum assimilates the text to 2 Sam. 22:38; the second reflects the text of the psalm.)

I will destroy them,¹⁰⁰ An assimilation to 2 Sam. 22:39 and they are unable to rise; and the slain have fallen under the soles of my feet.

And you have girded me with strength as a belt to do battle; you have defeated beneath me the Gentiles who rise up to do me harm.

And my foes you have broken in my presence; you have made them turn tail; [thus] my enemies I will destroy.

They seek help, but they have no redeemer; they pray in the presence of the LORD, but he does not accept their prayer.

I have crushed¹⁰¹trampled them like clods of earth before the storm-wind; and like the mud of the streets I have trodden them.

You will deliver me from the discords of the Gentiles; you will keep me¹⁰²you have appointed me by my destiny a benefactor at the head of the Gentiles; a people that I did not know shall worship me.

At the hearing of the ear, they will obey me; the sons of the peoples¹⁰³foreign peoples will desert in my presence.

The sons of the peoples¹⁰³see above above will perish, and will go into exile from their palaces.

The LORD lives, and blessed is the mighty one; for from his presence strength and redemption are given to me; and exalted is God, the strength of my redemption.

It is God who works retribution for me, and defeats beneath me the Gentiles who arise to do me harm.

He delivers¹⁰⁴redeems me from my foes; indeed against those who arise to do me harm you will make me prevail; you will deliver me from Gog and the armies of rapacious Gentiles with him.

Because of this, I will give praise in your presence among the Gentiles, O LORD; and I will sing praises to your name.

He works abundant redemption with his king, and shows favor to his anointed, to David and his seed forever.